Automatic gas shut-off



Feb. 13, 1934. c. T. BARD AUTOMATIC GAS SHUT-OFF Filed Sept. 2, 1953EFI.

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Patented Feb. 13, 1934 1,947,372

UNITED STATES PATET {OFFICE AUTOMATIC GAS SHUT-OFF Charles Tyler Bard,Gales Ferry, Conn.

Application September 2, 1933. Serial No.688,050 3 Claims. (01. 137-162)My invention relates to improvements in auother forms might be usedwithout departing tomatic gas shut offs, and it consists in the comfromthe spirit of the invention. binations, constructions and arrangementshere- The nipple '7 is provided at one end with a in described andclaimed. 7 j flange 10 which abuts the end of the pipe 8 and An objectof my invention is to provide a shut it is held by means of a union 11.At 12 is'a seat so off of the type which will operate during a fire,which is machined accurately to conform to the for closing the inlet ofthe gas into a gas meter ball valve 13. and thus preventing the ignitionof the gas and The ball valve 13 is provided with a bore not theconsequent conflagration which may ensue. shown into which a wire 14extends. I On each A further object is to provide a device of this sideof the wire 14 are portions 15 which are 65 'kind having very few partswhich can be cheaply shaped like bent nails, and which have head madeand yet which is highly effective for the portions 15a. The end of themembers 15 and purpose desired. 14 are secured together as shown at 16by solder. A further object of the invention is to provide From theforegoing description of the various 15 a device of the type describedwhich looks like an parts of the device the operation thereof may be 70ordinary nipple connection, and which has no readily understood. Themembers 13 to 16 inclu- I removable part such as a cap, by means ofwhich sive form a unit and this unit is placed in the the gas may besurreptitiously withdrawn. end of the nipple with the heads 15a restingon A further object of the invention is to provide the valve seat 12.The nipple may then be con- 20 a nipple having a valve seat arranged tobe closed nected to the pipe 2 and also to the pipe 8 by '15 by a ballvalve which is entirely concealed, and means of the union 11. Theapparatus will then which in fact looks like an ordinary connection. bein the position shown in Fig. 1. Now when A further object, and a veryimportant one, is a fire occurs, the solder 16 is melted. The memtoprovide an automatic shut off in which the bers 15 being no longersupported, drop down- 5 valve and its holdingmembers form aunit whichwardly into the nipple and the ball 13 passes 80 merely rests on theseat, but which when a fire downwardly until it engages the seat 12 whenit occurs, will permit the valve to engage the seat seals the pipe ornipple 7 effectively. and thus make an eifective closure. Ihavedescribed the preferred form of the de- Other objects and advantageswill appear in vice as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in which the wires thefollowing specification, and the novel features 15 are soldered to theside of the central stem 86 of the invention will be particularlypointed out 14 and then are bent laterally, the bent arms ber in theappended claims.' ing tangent to the central stem. When the sol- Myinvention is illustrated in the accompanyder melts the wires are free toinstantly fall back ing drawing forming part of this application, in outof engagement with the central wire.

5 which: In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification in which 90 Figure 1 is asectional view through a meter the bent portions of the wire are in thesame connection showing the normal position of the plane with thecentral wire 14. This form of valve to permit a free flow of gas. thedevice would fall within the purview of the Figure 2 is an enlargedsection on the line 2--2 invention. 40 of Fig. 1, I am aware ofconstructions in which a con- 95 Figure 3 is a perspective w f the balland meeting member has an opening filled with solder its suspendingmembers, and which, when melted. will permit the movement Figure 4 is adetail view of a modified form of of a valve to seat and to thereforeshut off a flow. the device. An opening through such connection,however,

In ca y g Out y invention I y make use has disadvantages which thisinvention is de- 0 Of a mete! bar of y it yp In the d signed toovercome. The stem 14 has ample room ns I hav sh w su a a at avi a d inwhich to move. It does not move through 2 recessed at 3 to constitute apipe portion and any exterior opening in the connections and providedwith threaded openings at 4 and 5 rehence would not be prevented in suchmovement spectively. The opening at 4 is arranged to rby obstructions onthe exterior of the connec- 5 ceive the threaded end of a gas pipe 6,while the tions, Opening at 5 is arranged receive the threaded I am alsoaware of complicated valve structures end of a pp 7 Which forms the o cto t which have to be especially made, and which are e inlet 3 0 meter 9-I e p e en i sta ce costly. The only cost in the present instance is Ihave Shown this pp 7 as being u v u the machining of the valve seat,which of course is necessary in every shut off, and the provision of theball valve and its supporting members. The construction is such that theball is held immediately above the center of the valve seat and dropsinto it when the supporting members are released by the solder.Furthermore, the holding members 15 keep the ball centered even thoughthe nipple may be tilted, as for instance in threading it into the pipe.The solder which holds the retaining members together, tends tocounterbalance the ball so as to bring it into position even if it hasbeen jarred out of position.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to support the valve by meansof wires on a fusible support which support is carried in an opening inone side of the nipple. The advantage of my construction lies in thefact that when the solder is melted it does not leave an opening in thenipple as is the case where the solder fills a hole in the nipple andforms the support for the Wires. In the latter case as distinguishedfrom my invention, when the solder melts the gas finds its way throughthe opening and may cause additional damage.

While I have illustrated a meter bar in connection with my invention itis obvious that any suitable pipe might be used without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An automatic gas shut off comprising a nipple having a threaded endand provided with a valve seat near the threaded end, a pipe connectedwith the nipple, a ball valve, a stem for supporting the valve,retaining members disposed on each side of the stem and having theirends bent laterally and being provided with heads arranged to engage thevalve seat, said retaining members and said stem being soldered togetherat their bottoms and being movable away from the valve seat when thesolder melts, thereby permitting the seating of the ball on the valveseat.

2. An automatic gas shut off comprising a nipple having a threaded endand provided with a valve seat near the threaded end, a pipe connectedwith the nipple, a ball valve, a stem for supporting the ball valve,retaining members disposed on each side of the stem and having theirends bent laterally tangent to the stem, said ends being arranged toengage the valve seat, said retaining members and said stem beingsoldered together at their bottoms and being movable away from the valveseat when the solder melts, thereby permitting the seating of the ballon the valve seat.

3. An automatic gas shut off comprising a pipe, a nipple having athreaded end connected with the pipe and being provided with a valveseat near said threaded end, a ball valve, a stem for supporting theball valve, and retaining members soldered to the stem within the nippleand having portions arranged to engage the valve seat for holding theball valve above the seat while permitting the flow of gas through thenipple.

CHARLES TYLER BARD.

